14-year-old girl stabs sister 40 times because she felt unappreciated

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(WGN)

14-year-old girl stabs sister 40 times because she felt unappreciated

(WGN)

ILLINOIS — An 11-year-old Illinois girl was stabbed 40 times by her 14-year-old sister, police say, and the reason why has many in the small Chicago-area community of Mundelein reeling in disbelief.

Police found the 11-year-old girl unconscious and in need of medical attention in an upstairs bedroom of the Illinois suburb Tuesday morning.

She later died.

Because the sister, who called police, initially told officers an intruder was to blame for the attack, authorities briefly placed three schools on lockdown.

The truth, when it emerged, was even more shocking.

The 14-year-old, authorities say, repeatedly and fatally stabbed the victim — her half sister — with a kitchen knife because the teen thought she was ungrateful.

“This incident is a heartbreaking tragedy that defies understanding,” said Mundelein Mayor Steve Lentz. “I am asking the Chicagoland area, please pray for us. Pray, first of all, for the family that has been devastated by this.”

Intruder in the house

Police received a 911 call about the incident at 8:30 a.m Tuesday. The call came from the 14-year-old girl, said Mundelein Police Chief Eric Guenther.

The teen told emergency dispatchers that an intruder had barged into the home, attacked her sister and then fled, CNN affiliate WLS reported.

Schools in area were immediately placed on lockdown, Guenther said.

“The area-wide school lockdown lasted only 15 minutes,” he said.

But the teen’s story unraveled quickly. Under police questioning, she admitted to the attack, authorities said.

Feeling unappreciated

The teen told police she was mad that her sister didn’t appreciate all she did for her, prosecutors said at the suspect’s detention hearing Wednesday. WLS was at the hearing.

The teen said she cooked dinner for her younger sibling and performed other chores. She was also angry that the 11-year-old girl had recently hit her.

The night before the attack, the teen thought about it for about 10 or 15 minutes, then went downstairs and grabbed a knife, according to prosecutors.

After the stabbing, she took a shower to wash off the blood, called police and made up the story about the intruder, prosecutors said.

The 14-year-old was arrested and was charged with murder.

The case is in juvenile court and a decision could be made in the future to move the case to adult court, the Lake County State Attorney’s Office said.

Playing together

Those who knew the girls said they lived at the home with their mother. Neighbors said the siblings seemed close.

The girls were often seen playing together and practicing cheerleading routines, WLS reported.

“They would always be together,” Mary Ann Gryder, a neighbor told the affiliate.

“The older one would be taking care of the younger one, and vice versa.”

Intellectual

Lee, What you are failing to realize here is that people don’t grow up at the same rate. Where were you at 14?

Perhaps YOU did have to take care of younger siblings because your parents were never around. Perhaps this is the case and you remained stable. Perhaps you were more mature than this 14 year old girl.

Or perhaps you don’t have a clue because you likely got to run around with all of your friends rather than care for anyone, and you don’t have a clue how you would have reacted.

I’m not justifying what this girl did, I’m only saying that typically things like this do happen because of something that stemmed from poor parenting. If you can’t take care of your children, you don’t deserve to have them. If BECAUSE you have to work 2 jobs you can’t watch over them, and you refuse to work EVEN more to pay someone to care for them, you shouldn’t have kids.

14 years old is not an adult. For some 14 is extremely mature. Others behave no differently than a 5 year old would. This girl got fed up not because of her sister, but because there were far too many responsibilities for her to handle. Mom probably should have noticed.

I’m not saying it was absolutely parenting skills. Maybe it wasn’t. maybe the girl just snapped. maybe she has some disorder that caused her to be out of her right mind. All I’m saying is that you’re claiming it’s okay to leave your kids alone like we are all assuming this parent did. That is NOT OKAY.

Kea Markham

So sad. I would notice if one of my children was unstable. It didn’t mention the father of either one. The mom probably has to work a lot and had no choice but to depend on the older child to help out. She just couldn’t handle that kind of pressure and responsibility. She snapped,

@Richard Nance, how do you know the mom didn’t work 2 jobs to support the family, to provide food and housing for them??
How do you know the mom didn’t work a factory job 2nd shift.
You have you problem with showing the world just how stupid you really are.

I suppose you think she should have been on Welfare, sitting at home, instead of paying her own way.

TBP

I don’t know, Lee. I’d say a dead 11 year old is more of a problem than the implementation of welfare in just about every situation imaginable. If you’re saying you’d rather have children end up dead than have our society chip in to help those in true need, then YOU are the problem in this country.

cristina

making jokes is not funny a young girl has died. no one knows exactly what happened blaming the parents come on now. the teen did what she did and now has to face the consequences. sad day of affairs she has to live with the guilt of what she did to her sister no one knows what was goin on in the household hello they could have been very close and stuff spiraled out of control sometimes when people fight everyone at one time or another has thought about hurting the other person but we think about the consequences and refrain. this girl acted on impulse so really now its up to the courts what will happen to this girl. MY heart is Heavy for the family not only for one loss but two thoughts and prayers to the family…god bless

MAS

How do you know the teen is feeling any guilt? She took a shower to wash away the blood and made up a story about an intruder. I didn’t read anywhere that she’s sorry for what she’s done. It doesn’t sound like she acted on impulse. According to the article, she thought about it for 10-15 minutes and took the knife from the kitchen the night before. This would mean that she “slept on it” and woke up and decided to stab her sister FORTY TIMES. Sounds like a plan to me.

Thelma Oatman

I worked 2 jobs and went to school and I had to rely on my oldest daughter to help take care of my youngest one because I couldn’t afford to pay someone but thank god nothing like this happened. I think this 14 year old girl needs some serious help to deal with her anger issues and to be punished for the act she did.

Who knows why this happened. A mother has just lost both of her daughters. We can lay blame all over the place but the fact of the matter is at 14 you know the difference between right and wrong. Not to mention at 14 I was babysitting so why couldn’t she? I feel for the family. We don’t need to be on here bashing one another either. We’re all entitled to our opinions.

I think in todays society, with more violence on TV and parents having to work to feed and house children, it’s going to occur more often than we think. Kids today think violence is cool, just look at all the School shootings going on. I can’t say the parents are to blame because teens are very good at covering up their junk, I guess if they want to be adults, they will have to take punishment like an adult.

Chucky1992

I just have to roll my eyes at some of these comments. A lot of people are acting as if they know the facts in the case. There are any number of factors that could be considered here. The suspect could have some undiagnosed mental disorder, the mother could also. There is no telling exactly what happened here to cause it. The simple fact is that a girl is dead by the hands of her own half-sister. That is tragic no matter what caused it.

Im the best!!

Did anyone ever think that might have been to much for her and she snapped? I feel bad for her I feel bad for the kids and the mother should be the one charged. You don’t make your older kid take care of the younger sister they need to be kids do you think that’s why she snapped they depended on her to much???

nikki

Emily

Look at the responses in these comments alone to get an idea about the state of humanity. The name calling, the belittling and the dire need to “prove someone wrong on the internet”. We as a whole (humanity) need to get back to basics. There is a lot going on here. The media throws stories online as quick as possible for ratings, while not having all the details and we go off on wild tangents and witch hunts of blaming and finger pointing. When did we stop caring? How can we fix it?

Angela

No where does it says that the mother is not involved…. I dont see why people feel the need to pass judgement when you don’t personally know the situation. The issue here is that two children’s lives are over. Period. Bottom line. Arguing through comments is not going to improve or change the situation.

Melrose2!!

I get so sick and tired of seeing these self-righteous, more perfect than God, types spew their venom against all parents whenever a minor commits a crime. Firstly, the issue with parenting lies with a government that seeks to classify all issues in a blanket category. Some kids do need spankings to learn to respect their parents and others, in general; while other while other kids benefit from the teachings of reason. Regardless of the type of parenting one has, at the age of 14, a child knows right from wrong and can make choices that dictate their behaviors.

I had two of the most inept, inconsiderate, selfish, abusive and uncaring parents one could have, however, from the age of 12, until I graduated high school, I attended my younger siblings during summer breaks from school–while parents were at work. I took care of their baths and meals, performed household chores, and sometimes cooked dinner for the entire family, as well as the after meal cleanup.

Although I did not have the best parents, I have not served any time in jail. I have not stolen anything from anyone. I have not murdered anyone. I still respect my parents and others.

By the time a child reaches a certain age, they make conscious choices, some of which are good, while others are not.

Unfortunately, we live in a “nanny state”, where the government is dictating private matters that occur within the home, that are better governed by those who live within the confines of the home.

A simple spanking for a misdeed is far more effective and far less mentally damaging, than having a kid stand out in public, wearing a sign that attests to whatever misdeed they have committed.

First of all, I personally agree that the government is too strict when it comes to parenting. However, leaving a 14 year old to CONSTANTLY care for an 11 year old is wrong.

We don’t know that this was the case. That is why in my previous comment I did say that IF that is the case, it is wrong.

Regardless, you are missing the fact that NOT ALL 14 Year Olds DO know right from wrong. If you did, great for you. I did as well, and yes, I grew up under crappy circumstances and I had a single mom and an older brother that spent a lot of time watching my sister and I.

But some kids do just snap. Some kids have mental problems and don’t actually know right from wrong. I think what people are speculating here is that in most cases a young girl like this would have acted out in the past. Maybe not, but PROBABLY, and the mother PROBABLY should have caught it. Maybe this wasn’t the case, and maybe it was, but I’m not sure who is saying it’s not okay to spank your kids, which, by the way, in most states, an open hand to a bare bottom is still legal, just, of course, not in public.

My point here is for you to remember. Yes, most kids DO know right and wrong at this age, but there are some exceptions to every rule. There could have been something seriously wrong with this girl, and others just refused to see it.

You are one example. It’s great that you were able to care for your siblings. They will thank you for that one day. Unfortunately not all teenagers can handle that kind of responsibility. If they really knew right from wrong the way that you claim we wouldn’t see things like abandoned babies, botched abortions, animals being tortured, etc. People are stupid and they make stupid decisions. Yes, in most cases they do know right from wrong, but this COULD have been one of the cases where parenting was an issue or where the girl really didn’t realize the consequences of her actions before she had done this.

KASEY

HERES THE NORMAL RESPONSE FOR THIS i PRAY FOR THIS FAMILY AND ESPECIALLY THE MOTHER WHO NOT ONLY LOST ONE BUT BOTH OF HER CHILDREN TO THIS. THIS IS HORRIBLE AND A TRAGEDY AND PEOPLE NEED TO QUIT JUDGING NO ONE KNOWS THE WHOLE STORY AND FOR ALL OF YOU BLAMING THE MOTHER IM SURE YOUR NOT A PERFECT PARENT I KNOW IM NOT MAKE SURE YOUR HOMES PERFECT BEFORE YOU JUDGE OTHERS.

Rachael

I am not sure why everyone is trying to blame the mother. This young lady obviously has a ton of issues. I baby sat my younger sister a lot growing up. Yes she was a brat at times. No I would never harm her more or less stab her 40 times and make up an elaborate Lie to cover it up. If she would do this to a “loved” one she would certainly crack on a stranger later in life. No one is to blame but this girl. She made the horrible decision and yes she should pay for it. When you take someone’s life you are old enough to suffer whatever consequences are coming your way! People need to be punished more severely then maybe this kind of thing would not be so common now days!